Covid-19 Megathread

[Tommy!]

7 minutes ago, MPDTT said:

I must say, I had no idea you could claim tax relief on bills you have to pay because you have to work at home on a regular basis. So I've learned something. 

Good job you're not dictating policy on it for a workforce is all I'll say.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Tommy!

[MPDTT]

2 hours ago, Nostalgia Nonce said:

Did you not read the previous posts, or are you just being a twat for the sake of it?

You know, I've just spent some time reading gov.uk guidance on this. I'll hold my hands up, I didn't realise such claims were prevalent. The subject has never been raised with me at work, not once. I genuinely didn't think such a claim was acceptable, never-mind a right. So guilty as charged, I didn't read the previous pages.

[SuperBacon]

4 minutes ago, Tommy! said:

They never bought me anything

All consultants are wankers, me included. But then you knew that.

[Tommy!]

1 minute ago, SuperBacon said:

All consultants are wankers, me included. But then you knew that.

That you're a wanker, I had my suspicions certainly. 😏

Edited May 22, 2020 by Tommy!

[MPDTT]

Just now, SuperBacon said:

All consultants are wankers, me included. But then you knew that.

I feel for all consultants right now - they are going to find this economy even tougher than most. 

[ElCece]

3 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

All consultants are wankers, me included. But then you knew that.

I didn't know that but I have made a mental note for the future.

[SuperBacon]

2 minutes ago, MPDTT said:

I feel for all consultants right now - they are going to find this economy even tougher than most. 

It's an over saturated market, but I really don't see how they are going to struggle anymore than most similar industries. Sure, there's going to be restrictions on what level they're going to recruit at with some jobs going and businesses downscaling, but a good consultant/cy will always be hiring for large companies and SME's.

They'll have to adapt like everyone else. The wankers.

[MPDTT]

1 minute ago, SuperBacon said:

It's an over saturated market, but I really don't see how they are going to struggle anymore than most similar industries. Sure, there's going to be restrictions on what level they're going to recruit at with some jobs going and businesses downscaling, but a good consultant/cy will always be hiring for large companies and SME's.

They'll have to adapt like everyone else. The wankers.

But isn't it true that as as soon as a downturn kicks in, generally consultants are the first to go and the bottom drops out of he market? One of the easiest ways for organisations to cut costs is to remove consultants. However, I guess that's part and parcel of being a consultant and when things are going well, there are loads of benefits. 

[Keith Houchen]

1 minute ago, Devon Malcolm said:

MPDTT doing wonders for the perception that HR are total scum.

My favourite exchange with a HR member was, unsurprisingly, when I was a Union Rep.  For a few years, this particular HR assistant walked around the place with an air of superiority and was under the belief that hers was THE most important department in the building (In fairness, there was practically someone in every department who thought their one was the most important).  She saw me as the enemy as I was always representing people in disciplinary matters and that I was involved in any changes to policies and procedures and she wasn't.

There was talk of redundancies that came to fruition.  Sadly, some people were to be let go.  My role was essentially the same as it always had been in these matters, to make sure that the company were sticking to their own rules.  Usually when they weren't, it was totally innocent and not done with malice.  I managed to get a few people a bigger redundancy package because the company had not included their notice period when calculating time served.  Anyway, this HR assistant was quite vocally anti union and was visibly disgusted that I had cost the company extra money in what were financially trying times.

Six or so months later, further cutbacks were made.  It had always been warehouse staff that had been cut in the past. This time it included office staff so HR was affected.  Guess who was earmarked for the cut.  She came down to the warehouse to see me and asked me for help as she was losing her job and wasn't getting much in the way of a severance. I kept a completely neutral face as I told her "I am obliged to help out all union members so if you can pass on your union member number to me I can get the ball rolling for you. Of course, any union involvement can only be undertaken if the situation occurred after you joined".  I smiled as she scowled and fucked off.

I didn't go to her leaving do, or contribute to her collection.  

To be fair, the rest of the HR team were lovely, but it was always the office staff and management who created the Us and Them mentality.  The way they used Execuspeak to buzzword their superiority over the proles was always hilarious.

[SuperBacon]

1 minute ago, MPDTT said:

But isn't it true that as as soon as a downturn kicks in, generally consultants are the first to go and the bottom drops out of he market? One of the easiest ways for organisations to cut costs is to remove consultants. However, I guess that's part and parcel of being a consultant and when things are going well, there are loads of benefits. 

Possibly, but that's a very knee jerk reaction and short sighted. I can't speak for all companies, but I know the ones I've worked for have no plans (no more than usual) of cutting headcount. 

[PunkStep]

22 minutes ago, MPDTT said:

You know, I've just spent some time reading gov.uk guidance on this. I'll hold my hands up, I didn't realise such claims were prevalent. The subject has never been raised with me at work, not once. I genuinely didn't think such a claim was acceptable, never-mind a right. So guilty as charged, I didn't read the previous pages.

That's not all what Nostalgia Nonce was referring to. I'm sure he was also referring to the fact it was pointed out that some will not save anything in travel costs, yet will have larger utility bills to pay as a result from WFH, and you come wading in with 'yeah I wouldn't help cover those expenses if it was up to me because they'll save in travel'.

But you knew that.

Edited May 22, 2020 by PunkStep

[SuperBacon]

9 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

My favourite exchange with a HR member was, unsurprisingly, when I was a Union Rep.  For a few years, this particular HR assistant walked around the place with an air of superiority and was under the belief that hers was THE most important department in the building (In fairness, there was practically someone in every department who thought their one was the most important).  She saw me as the enemy as I was always representing people in disciplinary matters and that I was involved in any changes to policies and procedures and she wasn't.

There was talk of redundancies that came to fruition.  Sadly, some people were to be let go.  My role was essentially the same as it always had been in these matters, to make sure that the company were sticking to their own rules.  Usually when they weren't, it was totally innocent and not done with malice.  I managed to get a few people a bigger redundancy package because the company had not included their notice period when calculating time served.  Anyway, this HR assistant was quite vocally anti union and was visibly disgusted that I had cost the company extra money in what were financially trying times.

Six or so months later, further cutbacks were made.  It had always been warehouse staff that had been cut in the past. This time it included office staff so HR was affected.  Guess who was earmarked for the cut.  She came down to the warehouse to see me and asked me for help as she was losing her job and wasn't getting much in the way of a severance. I kept a completely neutral face as I told her "I am obliged to help out all union members so if you can pass on your union member number to me I can get the ball rolling for you. Of course, any union involvement can only be undertaken if the situation occurred after you joined".  I smiled as she scowled and fucked off.

I didn't go to her leaving do, or contribute to her collection.  

To be fair, the rest of the HR team were lovely, but it was always the office staff and management who created the Us and Them mentality.  The way they used Execuspeak to buzzword their superiority over the proles was always hilarious.

 

7 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

Poor Karen.

 

[Fatty Facesitter]

Meanwhile, even in the darkness, there is light:

 

[MPDTT]

12 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

To be fair, the rest of the HR team were lovely, but it was always the office staff and management who created the Us and Them mentality.  The way they used Execuspeak to buzzword their superiority over the proles was always hilarious.

When I was an HR Manager for one of the big 4 supermarkets, I had an USDAW union rep work really well with me - it is very much possible for both functions to do good work together and not fall into the 'us and them' mindset - resolving matters informally before they materialise into formal grievances and disciplinary hearings. I've also found union reps much more pragmatic when dealing with collective consultations - far more simplistic that electing employee representatives. I've also fired a union rep for theft, who had spent the previous year actively trying to be a thorn in the side of the business. Like all functions - there will always be the good and the bad. 

[gmoney]

I've been saying for ages the snooker should be able to come back. The referee already wears gloves for a start.